What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Lauryl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingPolyquaternium-22
Limonene
Perfuming
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Metaphosphate
BufferingCitrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Citral
Perfuming
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Myristic Acid, Lauric Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Palmitic Acid, Glycol Distearate, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, Polyquaternium-22, Limonene, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Metaphosphate, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Citral, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Water
Skin ConditioningMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Behenic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingLauric Acid
Cleansing
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
Masking
Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil
Astringent
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Masking
Lavandula Hybrida Oil
Emollient
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Styrax Benzoin Gum
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Tourmaline
Laminaria Saccharina Extract
Skin ProtectingHydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polyquaternium-7
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
PEG-3 Distearate
Emulsifying
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Myristic Acid, Glycerin, Behenic Acid, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Palmitic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Lauric Acid, Stearic Acid, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Styrax Benzoin Gum, Linalool, Limonene, Tourmaline, Laminaria Saccharina Extract, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polyquaternium-7, Butylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, PEG-3 Distearate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinLauric Acid is a saturated fatty acid naturally found in coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and even breast milk.
In cosmetics, it is an:
Lab studies have found that lauric acid is surprisingly good at killing acne-causing bacteria. However, these tests were done on bacteria in a petri dish and not on real skin, so we can't say for certain it works the same in a formulation on a real face.
The comedogenic rating of 4 comes from the 1972 rabbit ear model using undiluted ingredients. Comedogenicity is highly individual and one comedogenic ingredient cannot predict how a formula will behave on skin.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe and research has confirmed Malassezia can use it as a food source.
Learn more about Lauric AcidLimonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.
It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".
Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.
When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.
The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term. For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance.
Learn more about LimoneneMyristic Acid is a saturated fatty acid. It is naturally found in milk fat. Other sources include palm oil, coconut oil, and butter fat.
Myristic Acid is an emulsifer and cleanser. As an emulsifer, it stabilizes a product by preventing ingredients from separating. Myristic Acid helps clean your skin by acting as a surfactant. It tends to gather oil and dirt on your skin to be easily rinsed away.
One study from 2021 found Myristic Acid to have anti-inflammatory properties.
Learn more about Myristic AcidPalmitic Acid is a fatty acid naturally found in our skin and in many plant and animal sources.
In cosmetics, it is usually derived from palm oil. It serves many purposes in skincare, acting as a cleanser, emollient, and emulsifier.
Interestingly, topically applied Palmitic Acid can be elongated into longer chain fatty acids and ceramides. A 2019 study found low levels of Palmitic Acid lead to slower development of cells, suggesting it plays a role in keeping your skin's renewal process on track.
The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) panel determined it safe as used in cosmetics at concentrations up to 13%. It is non-irritating and non-sensitizing in clinical studies.
The culprit behind fungal acne, the Malassezia yeast, feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between C11-C24. Palmitic Acid, at C16, falls right into that sweet spot.
In vitro studies have shown that Palmitic Acid is one of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.
It's worth noting that what feeds yeast in a lab doesn't necessarily feed it on your face since formulation and your skin's chemistry play a bigger role.
Learn more about Palmitic AcidPotassium hydroxide is commonly known as caustic potash. It is used to fix the pH of a product or as a cleaning agent in soap. In cleansers, it is used for the saponification of oils.
Sapnification is the process of creating fatty acid metal salts from triglycerides and a strong base. During this process, Potassium Hydroxide is used up and is not present in the final product.
Using high concentrations of Potassium Hydroxide have shown to irritate the skin.
Learn more about Potassium HydroxideStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
